I woke up with the feeling that I was still dreaming.
For a few seconds, I stared at the polished stone ceiling of the room and tried to remember where I was. Then the light coming through the window reflected into small colored points on the opposite wall, and everything came back to mind.
The dwarven kingdom.
I got up slowly so as not to wake anyone. Even though we had separate rooms, the women had insisted on staying in my room talking until late the night before. At some point, exhaustion overcame everyone.
I opened the window.
The morning air there was different. Colder, drier, with a faint metallic smell coming from the forges that were already active even so early. The sound of hammers echoed in the distance, rhythmic, constant.
The city was already awake.
I looked down and saw dwarves hurrying along the stone streets, some pushing carts full of ore, others carrying enormous tools as if they weighed nothing.
That did not look like a city that wakes up.
It looked like a city that never sleeps.
I heard footsteps behind me.
"Already awake?"
I turned and saw Elara approaching, her hair still messy.
"I couldn't sleep much," I replied. "I kept thinking about this place."
She came to the window and stood observing with me.
"It's all very… solid."
She had found the right word.
Soon after, we went down to the main hall. The butler who had received us the night before was already waiting.
A dwarf with impeccable posture, a well-aligned beard, and an always neutral expression.
"Good morning. His Majesty asked me to inform you that, after breakfast, Princess Briena will personally guide you through the city."
The name caught my attention.
Princess Briena.
The youngest.
As we walked to the breakfast table, I thought about the look she had given me during dinner. It was not ordinary curiosity.
It was different.
We sat down. King Durgan was already eating and talking animatedly with Vespera about types of blades.
"Takumi! Sit, sit! Today you will truly get to know the city!"
The food was plentiful. Thick breads, well-seasoned meats, fruits I didn't even recognize.
In the middle of the meal, Princess Briena entered the hall.
She wore simpler clothes than the night before, but still elegant. Her brown hair tied back made her face more visible.
She looked directly at me.
And smiled.
I felt Lyannis discreetly nudge me under the table.
"She is clearly far too excited to guide you through the city," she murmured.
I pretended not to hear.
After breakfast, we left accompanied by Briena and two royal guards.
As soon as we passed through the castle gates, I realized that seeing the city from within was even more impressive.
The houses were not built.
They were carved.
Every door, every window, every detail seemed to have been shaped with patience and perfection directly into the rock. On many facades, jewels were embedded as part of the decoration.
"Is all of this… safe?" Elara asked.
Briena laughed.
"For us, this is common. The jewels are part of our architecture. We have so many that using them becomes something natural."
We passed through a large square where dozens of dwarves worked at open forges. The heat was intense. The sound of metal being shaped echoed through the air.
"This is where the weapons you have heard about are born," Briena explained.
Vespera was mesmerized.
I had never seen someone look at forges with so much interest.
We kept walking. At several moments, Briena moved too close to me to explain something. I noticed the sideways glances from the others.
Jealousy.
It didn't take much intelligence to notice.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms in silence. Lyannis watched with a subtle smile, clearly amused by the situation.
"You humans build cities with wood and stacked stone," Briena said. "We shape the mountain itself."
She spoke with pride.
And she had reason to.
We reached a higher point in the city, from where it was possible to see practically everything. Bridges, tunnels, towers, houses, forges. Everything integrated as if it were a single living organism.
I stood silent for a few seconds, simply absorbing it.
We had already passed through different kingdoms, different cultures.
But there…
There I felt like I was seeing something ancient.
Something that existed long before any human kingdom.
"You are very quiet," Briena commented.
"I'm trying to understand how someone manages to build something like this."
She smiled slightly.
"We don't build. We reveal what was already here."
The sentence stayed in my mind.
We reveal.
We don't build.
As we went back down through the city, I noticed that several dwarves were still watching us as we passed.
It was not ordinary curiosity.
It was respect.
It was the kind of look given to someone you have heard a lot about.
And that began to bother me a little.
I still saw myself as an adventurer trying to survive.
They saw us as something greater.
When we returned to the castle, it was already mid-afternoon. The tour had taken hours, but it felt like minutes had passed.
Before we went in, Briena stopped in front of me.
"I hope you enjoyed it."
"I enjoyed it more than I expected."
She stared at me for a few seconds, as if she wanted to say something, but gave up.
She simply gave a small nod and went inside.
I stood there for a moment.
I had the clear feeling that this visit was not just diplomacy.
There was something personal beginning to form.
And I was not sure whether that was good or problematic.
I took a deep breath and followed the group into the castle.
The day was not over yet.
But the city of riches had already left a mark that was hard to ignore.